THE LUNAR REPORT - "RANDOM" August 22, 2011

I haven’t preached in a while. I kind of thought this might be a good time to do that again. This has to do with what some folks are calling, “random acts of kindness.”

I get that. And for all those friends and family members who are suggesting that we do such things, well I know your hearts are in the right place. They really are.

My oldest niece started a “random acts of kindness” campaign recently, encouraging folks to do just one such act on her birthday and then to let her know about it. That is so much like her. Well, sort of anyway.

I’ve watched that woman for years, helping folks at every turn. She embraces strangers the way you and I might embrace an old college buddy. She brings light into the darkest of rooms. She sings joyful songs at the funerals of old women. She simply pays attention to all who are around her.

But there is nothing random about her kindness. Nothing at all.

“Random” acts of kindness kind of makes just as likely random acts of meanness, doesn’t it? If I perform a random act of kindness, doesn’t that sort of grant me the privilege of doing mean stuff to a random other few? I behaved nicely to a random few, so surely God will forgive me if I am a jerk to some random others. Right?

I guess it’s this randomness that bothers me. Why should it be random? If it’s not to free us to be mean to others, then what’s the point? Is it only random so that at least we will have those few random virtues to fall back on when we lose our sense of direction and purpose and choose to do wrong things? Or is it random so that we can at least take a break from doing good things when we really don’t much care to? Doesn’t the randomness of it all give us an out when we really don’t want to or feel like being kind?

“I’m in a bad mood today, so I will choose to be kind tomorrow.”

Yeh, that’s pretty random.

I’ve read the bumper stickers. “Practice Random Acts Of Kindness.” Riding around with that saying on one’s bumper must make the driver feel special. But what if I were to become irritated with his driving, pass him and flip him off? Since the driver is just a randomly kind guy, I am assuming he would be free to call me any name in the book and wish ill will upon me, right? I assume that the driver wouldn’t roll down his window and do as Jesus would do - tell me that he loved me anyway. Nah. Random acts of kindness don’t require that.

You get where I am going with this, right?

Kindness should be natural and consistent. Not an effort and random. Kindness should be shared the way my niece always shares it. At every opportunity.

Arguably the most selfless man who ever walked on earth was Jesus. How random was he? I understand how ridiculous the question, “What would Jesus do?” sounds to some. Especially when it comes to political questions and to non-Jesus believers. But for those of Christian faith, it is a very important question. Would Jesus restrict his kind deeds to a random schedule? Would he do a few kind things and then proudly display a bumper sticker on his car to show others what a wonderful person he is? Or would he just do kind things?

And why would he do them? For praise? For some glory from somewhere? For a sense of accomplishment and self well being? Or would he do those things simply because those things needed to be done?

I think we all know why he would do such things. And I think I know why my niece does such things. And in my 57 years, I have yet to see anything random from either of those two.